Fatherhood at Home is the Foundation of Leadership

People think that leadership is something abstract and ideal that needs to be pursued and actualized by studying theories from management schools. But actually leadership begins at home. Fatherhood is the foundation of leadership. Who you are as a father can characterize your basic character as a leader in society. As a father in the family you become the first teacher of leadership to your children! How you deal with them at home is their first lesson of leadership.

Primary socialization begins in the family! Before your children learn theories on how to become leaders in the outside world, they first learn it from you as their father. Thus, your role as a dad in your family is crucial in determining what kind of leaders your children would become in the future.

Of course, you can argue that your children will learn great theories on leadership, anyway, when they study the best business schools in the world. You may be right somehow, but social scientists believe that the basic socialization of children on how to become human and leader begins during the formative years, i.e., from birth up to 13 years old. This period has a great impact to the child’s character and personality. Thus, the early social learning of the children on how to deal with people begins at home with the leadership of their parents, particularly that of their fathers as head of the household.

Sociologists discover that there is a basic pattern on how fathers form or socialize their children in society based on social class. Fathers coming from the lower classes tend to emphasize discipline and conformity in raising their children as many of them are workers in business firms who get used to being ordered or commanded by their supervisors and managers.

But fathers who come from the middle or upper classes tend to emphasize creativity and personal discretion on their children, as many of them are managers and decision makers. So, by social class, the professional and rich dads tend to socialize their children on how to deal or manage people, while poor dads tend instill discipline and obedience to their children. Of course, children from poor families when they get higher education and move up in the social class ladder can overcome the limitations of their family upbringing through formal education. Indeed, education is a great equalizer in life!